Embers And Souls
by Ashwarrior53
Summary: Every night Kenny dreams of the same girl, and every morning he wakes up feeling like he's missing a part of himself. So when he, Cartman, Kyle, and Stan go off to college; he vows to find this girl and figure out why she's plaguing his mind. Needless to say, he finds her, and his life is turned into a whirlwind of love and tragedy. Can Kenny save the girl in his dreams in time?
1. Chapter 1

Ember took a deep breath and stared up at the ceiling, the dim night light by her bed throwing odd shadows across her walls. The reason she wasn't able to sleep was probably because she had downed five cups of coffee in the wee hours of the morning, trying to calm her nerves. It had worked, for a little while, but then her plan backfired on her, the caffeine keeping her wide awake. Groaning, she shifted under the covers, trying to get comfortable. Ember closed her eyes and listened to the silence of the night, the humming of her computer's modem slowly lulling her to sleep.

Her dreams started out peaceful, but it wasn't long before they turned dark. A shadowy and barren landscape swirled into her mind, the dull grey rock beneath her feet churning with silver mist. Ember shivered and took in her surroundings, a cold chill rippling down her spine. It was completely silent, putting her on edge. The snap of a twig somewhere in the distance had her whirling around, adrenaline starting to course through her veins. All of her senses went on high alert, her breath coming out in rapid gasps. She wrapped her arms around herself and began to walk forward, only to hit a solid object that loomed up out of the mist. Ember yelped and looked up into the eyes of the thing she had run into, only to find herself transfixed by gorgeous orbs of a brilliant cobalt blue.

"Ember… you have finally come." The man whispered in a voice that sent shivers down her spine. He raised one large, callused hand to cup her cheek and leaned in close, his lips brushing her's like the soft touch of a butterfly's wing. Shock went crashing through her, along with a heavy dose of lust and desire. Her emotions surprised her, and she pulled back from his lips as if they had stung her.

"W… who… are you?" She whispered, fear and curiosity bubbling up in her chest, an odd mixture that annoyed her. Ember studied the man warily, taking in his thick curls, which were the color of golden wheat. His handsome face was all chiseled jaw and sharp angles, like that of a mischievous god's. It took her a moment to realize that his full lips had twisted into a rueful smile. She let her eyes travel back to his own, her breath taken away at the pure sorrow etched into his features.

"I know you don't know who I am right now, but I promise you will soon." He whispered, his form slowly fading into the background.

"No, wait!" Ember held out a trembling hand and tried to grab his shirt, but her fingers just closed onto empty air. She looked around, the man's absence had been replaced by three other men, their eyes boring into her skin like needles. They each held out a hand to her, inviting her to take them.

"Choose me." The one with deep auburn hair pleaded, his soft voice holding a hidden passion. He watched her with burning ice blue eyes, their depths churning with desire. Ember found herself taking a step towards him, but something held her back.

"Ember…" Her name was spoken in a sultry whisper that had her nerve endings rippling with pleasure. She turned to see who had spoken, and was surprised to see another man standing there. He gave her a decidedly wicked smile and held his hand towards her, his long fingers elegant and unmarked. His hair was the darkest she had ever seen, shining like a sheet of black water. His eyes were equally as dark, full of mystery and fringed by long black lashes that any women would be envious of.

"Choose me." He implored to her, his seductive lips turning up in a slow, sexy smirk. With a shiver, Ember moved forward, the dark and enticing man in front of her appealing to her greatly. Suddenly, a hand snaked out of the shadows, latching onto her wrist with an iron grasp. Crying out in surprise, Ember whirled to see who was holding her back. Eyes the color of a thunderstorm glared back at her, darkening as they caught her glance. The man that they belonged to held an aura of arrogance and danger about him, and his broad shoulders were fraught with tension. He frowned and pulled her closer, his fingers tightening around her arm.

"You will choose me." He commanded, his deep voice holding no room for arguments. She opened her mouth to deny him, but the man with the cobalt eyes appeared just as suddenly as he had disappeared. Closing her eyes, Ember jerked her arm away from the man's clutches and shook her head vehemently.

"No, no no…" She muttered to herself, dropping onto her knees as a loud blaring sound assaulted her ears. Covering her ears, Ember tried to block out the sound, but to no avail.

"Shut up!" She shouted, opening her eyes to find herself on the floor of her bedroom, the alarm clock sitting on the night stand screaming incessantly. With a groan she sat up and clicked the button to silence the sound. Everything seemed to be normal, but the contents of her dream still haunted her. _Who were those men… _she thought to herself, rubbing one arm to get the blood flowing again. With a sigh she stood and stretched, trying to work out the kinks from sleeping on the hard floor. She happened to glance at the alarm clock, and a string of curses sprang from her mouth.

"Crap, I'm going to be late!" Ember exclaimed, rushing into the bathroom to jump into the shower. Stripping off her pajamas, she turned the knob and waited impatiently for the water to get hot, shifting from foot to foot to keep her feet from freezing on the cold tile of the floor. Steam rose up above the curtain, and that was her cue to hop in. She sighed as the warm water massaged her sore muscles, but soon remembered that she needed to hurry and reached for the shampoo.

Thirty minutes later, she stood in front of her mirror, shaking out her long sheet of shining chestnut hair. She blinked as she studied her reflection, her dark green eyes showing a hint of annoyance. Ember shrugged and straightened her scarf.

"It will have to do." She muttered before grabbing her backpack and racing out the door.


	2. Chapter 2

Kenny opened his eyes and sat up quickly, momentarily forgetting where he was. He glanced around and caught the quizzical gaze of his friend Stan, the other boy's dark eyes watched him with mild humor.

"Did you have a bad dream honey?" Stan teased, placing a hand on Kenny's cheek. Kenny glared at his friend and swatted the offending hand away. Shifting in the uncomfortable leather seat of Kyle's old Buick Bonneville, he looked up at the front of the car, where Cartman snored loudly, his head tilted back and mouth wide open. With a disgusted snort, Kenny looked over at Kyle, who sat at the wheel, his eyes glued to the road as if it were a naked woman. With a chuckle Kenny leaned forward and pulled a Sharpie from his jacket pocket. He looked back at Stan and gave him a smile that spelled trouble.

"Do it," Stan replied, leaning forward as well, "draw a …"

"Don't you dare, you know fat tits will freak if he wakes up with something on his face!" Kyle interrupted, taking his eyes off of the road long enough to send a glare their way. With a snort, Cartman closed his mouth and opened his eyes, blinking away the bright sunlight that was filtering in through the car window. Seeing the Sharpie poised dangerously close to his cheek, Cartman moved away with surprising speed and scowled at Kenny, who gave him an innocent look and put the cap back on the marker.

"This is why I try not to fall asleep when you guys are around." Cartman growled, checking his face in the rearview mirror to make sure they hadn't drawn anything. Stan rolled his eyes and fell back against the seat, clearly bored now that their mischief had failed.

"How much longer is this going to take Kyle, we've been in this car for hours." Stan moaned, looking out the window with listless eyes. Kenny blew out a sigh and rested his chin on the head rest of Cartman's seat. Kyle glared at them in the rearveiw mirror and shook his head in annoyance.

"We're almost there," He snapped, turning into a long gravel drive that wound its way through a thick forest. The tires of the car crunched against the ground, and dust rose up behind them as they continued forward. They all looked around warily, the shadowy forest holding no light. Kenny shivered, the feeling of Deja vu was almost overpowering.

"Are you sure this is the right place you stupid Jew, it's kinda creepy here…" Cartman muttered, trailing off as they reached the end of the drive. The forest opened up to reveal a huge castle-like building, its gothic spires piercing the sky like daggers. Large windows were placed along regular intervals across the whole front side of the building, and hundreds of people teemed in large clumps on the quad in front. The huge doors were open, and college kids and their parents moved in and out like ghosts, most of them getting lost in the crowd. A few smaller buildings flanked what had to be the admin office, for upperclassman stood on the stone steps, waving fliers in the air and trying to yell above the din. Kyle parked cautiously along the curb and glanced back at his friends, a smile crossed his lips, and he turned so that all of them could see his face.

"Welcome to SchattenWood College my friends, let's go!" He exclaimed, opening the car door and hopping out. Stan, Cartman, and Kenny exchanged a look before following Kyle much less enthusiastically onto the hot pavement. A guide was there to greet them, his face twisted into what was probably supposed to be a welcoming smile, but it had turned into more of a grimace.

"Hi, my name is Joseph, and I will be your student guide for today. Do not worry about your luggage, we will have someone pick it up and bring it to your dorms for you. If you would just tell me your names and ID numbers…" Joseph said, giving them a pointed look. Kyle smiled and rummaged in his pocket for a minute before pulling out four pieces of small rectangular plastic. He handed them to Joseph and waited patiently as the other boy compared the cards to the clipboard he held in his hands. Stan studied him with a disturbed expression and leaned in close to Kenny.

"Why is his face like that?" He asked, causing Kenny to snort and choke down a laugh. Kyle shot them both a killing look and then turned back to the task at hand. Joseph looked up from his clipboard and smiled even wider, showing his gums and all of his teeth. Stan shivered beside Kenny and took a step back, thoroughly creeped out.

"Dude, if you don't stop smiling like that I'm going to punch you in the fucking face." Cartman said, placing his hands in his pockets. Joseph blanched and his smile faded, leaving only a trace of animosity to be seen in his eyes.

"Of course, sorry about that. If you would just follow me." He said, handing the cards back to Kyle before he turned on his heel and started to wade through the swarm. Kyle elbowed Cartman in the ribs before following him, hurrying to catch up. Stan, Kenny, and Cartman let out identical groans of misery before jogging after them.


	3. Chapter 3

Ember tapped her foot impatiently against the stone floor, leaning around the boy in front of her to see how far the line had moved. So far, about two inches. She blew out a sigh and checked her watch, the music playing in her ears barely blocking out the sound of the crowded front office. Of course she had gotten there way too late, thanks to the buses running slow that day. _Maybe I should get a car_, she thought to herself, dismissing the idea almost immediately. There was no way she would be able to afford a car payment and pay tuition, not to mention her books and the things she might need for class. Placing her hands in her pockets, Ember rocked back on her heels, eager to get back to her dorm room for some much needed decorating. Finally she came to the front of the line, pulling out her ear buds and letting them rest across her shoulders. She smiled kindly at the girl at the desk and rummaged through her purse for her Student ID.

"I need my class schedule." She said, sliding the small card across the shiny wood. The girl picked up the card and moved her eyes unenthusiastically to the computer screen in front of her, typing Ember's name and ID number slowly on the keyboard. Glancing at the front of the girl's shirt, Ember realized that her name was Melony Barnes, a senior, according to her name tag.

"All right, Ember Grace Edel… here is your schedule." Melony said, breaking her out of her reverie. Ember shook her head and took her card and the piece of paper that Melony held out to her. "Thank you," She shoved them both unceremoniously into her purse and turned back to the other girl.

"Uh huh." Was all Melony replied with, snapping the bright blue piece of gum in her mouth. Clearing her throat, Ember nodded once before heading out onto the quad. She sighed and looked around, noticing that everyone had already started to merge into their cliques. There was the sorority girls, mostly blonde bimbos with huge boobs and fake tans. The hippies, who were currently sitting in a circle playing all kinds of instruments, and probably eating a little bit too many weed brownies, if the slack look on their faces told her anything. The jocks, who were throwing a football around and most likely talking about how hot the cheerleaders were going to be. The frat boys, God forbid they wear non-douchey clothes instead of the bright white T-shirts and khaki shorts that were their signature look. The bookworms, who were, what else, all immersed in books, not even paying attention to what was going on around them. And then there were the outsiders and the goth kids, who kinda merged into one big group, since niether belonged anywhere.

Ember looked down at herself and frowned, taking in her appearance. She had dressed in Aztec print tights, brown Ugg boots, a tight white long-sleeved T-shirt, a cream scarf, and a neutral brown cardigan that hung down to her thighs. At only four feet eleven inches, she wasn't tall enough to fit in with the sorority girls, nor did her breasts strain at the fabric of her shirt. Her hair wasn't blonde, and her pasty complexion would have them laughing at her within seconds. She immediately ruled out the bookworms and the hippies, because she was much too busy to read all of the time and sitting around doing nothing but playing instruments sounded boring. The jocks were out, seeing as she wasn't a guy, so that left the outsiders and the goths.

"Joy…" She mumbled, deciding to get back to her dorm before her thoughts started to depress her. Suddenly, a tingle went through her body, and she turned to see if somebody was watching her. Seeing no one, Ember shrugged off the feeling and made her way back to the bus stop.


	4. Chapter 4

Joseph led them through the crowd with ease, dodging running jocks and waving at the sorority girls that smiled at him. The air surrounding them was charged with excitement and a hint of tension that put all of the guys on edge. The grass was think and green beneath their feet, and Kenny wanted nothing more than to take off his shoes. Cartman eyed the jocks playing football intently, and Kenny knew immediately that Cartman would be trying out for the team. Kyle was talking animatedly to Joseph, the two of them obviously bonding over being overly-responsible. Stan popped a piece of gum in his mouth and chewed it boredly, the sticky substance smacking against the roof of his mouth.

Joseph halted at a bus stop, the curb teeming with teenagers anxiously waiting to get to their dorms. Turning to all of them, Joseph handed Kyle a piece of paper.

"You can pick your room keys up at the dorm master's office, freshman orientation is tomorrow at 10:00 am, so don't be late or you won't know how to get around and what the rules are. Also, here at SchattenWood we have coed dorms, so try to keep it in your pants. Have a very good day and do not hesitate to seek me out if you have any questions." With that he gave them a smile and turned on his heel, disappearing into the fray. They watched him leave and then glanced back towards the bus, where all of the people had started to climb onto the crowded automobile.

"Okay guys, let's get this over with." Cartman said, pushing people out of the way to get to the bus doors. Kenny, Stan, and Kyle followed hurriedly after him, apologizing to the people he had assaulted. The inside of the bus was stuffed to bursting with rowdy teenagers, all of them straining to move in the sea of bodies. Kenny glanced around for a free seat but saw none, and so he reserved himself to holding on as tightly as he could to the metal pole that had been screwed into the middle of the aisle. With a loud screech and the hiss of pistons, the bus started forward, causing everyone to lurch towards the front of the bus before they regained their footing. Annoyed grumbles followed soon after, but it died down as they began to pass buildings that had to be either lecture halls or smaller, more private dorms. It wasn't long before they entered another driveway, this one paved and smooth and surrounded by orchards.

"Wow, they really don't mess around, do they." Stan mumbled, looking out the window with an awed expression. The bus ground to a stop, and again they all tilted to the front as the driver hit the brakes.

"First stop, Blythe Hall!" Came the shout from the driver's seat. Kyle looked down at their paper and smiled. "That's us guys, come on," He said, pushing his way through the masses to get to the open doors. Once outside, they shook themselves and studied the building in front of them. It was huge, with large bay windows overlooking a small lake off to the side. The bright red brick was covered in creeping ivy that grew partially over some of the tall windows, though it faded away as it neared the roof. The doors to the Hall were wide open to let the cool fall air in, and the marble steps leading up to the doors were smooth and unmarked. Kyle turned to them and gave them a smug look.

"See guys, I told you it was a good thing that we registered for dorms two weeks before we actually arrived here." He said, crossing his arms as if he were waiting for praise. Cartman snorted and pushed past him, "Come on you stupid Jew, we aren't getting any younger here." Kyle glared after him but gestured for Kenny and Stan to follow as he hurried after Cartman's long strides. As they entered the foyer, the first thing that Kenny noticed was the girl struggling with a heavy bag at the base of the winding staircase. His breath was knocked out of his lungs as she turned to look at him, as if she could feel him watching her. The girl's eyes were a vivid green, shocking in their intensity and fringed by dark lashes that only brought out their color even more. Her skin was like cream, smooth and pale, tinged with a light pink blush at the cheeks. Full lips the color of red wine turned down in a frown as she noticed him staring at her. Tucking a piece of warm chestnut colored hair behind her ear, the girl looked away quickly and blushed a deep scarlet. Suddenly, she took off up the stairs, completely abandoning her suitcase at the bottom of the steps. Kenny started forward, wanting to go after her, but Stan's voice cut through his thoughts and brought him to a hard stop.

"Dude come on, we go the room keys," Stan said, walking over to him and placing a hand on his shoulder, "what's up bro, you look like you've seen a ghost." Shaking his head, Kenny brushed his friend's hand off and sighed.

"I'm fine, let's just get our dorms set up so we can get some sleep." With that, Kenny started up the opposite staircase, where Kyle and Cartman were waiting at the top. Stan narrowed his eyes but followed, deciding to push his friend's odd behavior to the back of his mind for the moment. They made their way through the halls, all of the doors they passed were closed, though noises could be heard coming from inside.

"Hear we are." Kyle said, stopping at a couple of mahogany doors. He pulled two keys out of his pocket and handed one to Stan and kept the other. Stan pursed his lips and looked down at the golden key in his hand, then back up at Kyle.

"So, who's rooming with who?" He asked. An awkward silence began then, none of them willing to say that they didn't want to share a dorm with Cartman. Glancing down at the paper in his hand, Kyle let out an anguished groan and threw a look of pure animosity Cartman's way.

"It looks like I'm with Cartman, and you two are sharing a dorm." Blowing out a sigh, Kyle inserted his key into the lock and pushed inward. The door swung open on silent hinges and he entered. The room that they entered was large, with a bay window looking out on the lake. The walls were painted a dark navy blue, and two expensive-looking full beds stood pressed against opposite walls. The floors were made of shiny hardwood, and the white trim around the room was a bright white.

"It seems that we get our own closets." Cartman said, opening a door at the end of his bed. The room that it led to was indeed a small closet, and all of Cartman's luggage had been piled carefully on the floor. Kyle raised an eyebrow and went to check his own closet, finding that his luggage, too, had been placed inside.

"Hey guys. there's another door over here." Kenny called from around a corner that none of the others had noticed. Kenny twisted the doorknob and walked inside, taking in the two wooden desks and plush chairs that sat in front of them. "It looks like a study room," He said, stepping to the side so that Kyle, Cartman, and Stan could see.

"I wonder if ours is the same." Stan commented, turning around and walking out the door. Kenny left Kyle and Cartman to explore the rest of the room and followed Stan into their dorm. Instead of blue, the walls had been painted a deep green, but otherwise it was all exactly the same. Stan went over to his bed and dropped down onto it, laying back against the soft mattress. Kenny sat gently on the edge of his bed and looked around, not able to enjoy it as much as he wished, for the image of that girl was still seared into his mind. He looked over at Stan to see the other boy watching him with a serious gaze, and Kenny opened his mouth to ask what he was looking at, but Stan just broke into a smile and closed his eyes again.

"Welcome to college bro." He breathed, placing his arms behind his head. "Yeah…" Kenny muttered, laying back against his pillows to stare at the ceiling.


	5. Chapter 5

Ember raced to her room, her heart pounding so fast that she was sure it would burst from her chest. Her roommate looked up as she dashed inside, slamming the door behind her with so much force that it rattled the windows. The other girl's brows furrowed in concern, her honey-colored eyes confused and startled.

"Ember, are you all right?" She asked, laying down the shirt that she had been folding to stand. Ember waved a dismissive hand in her direction and shuffled over to her bed, flopping face-down onto the soft covers. Taking a deep breath, she tried to calm her frantic pulse, but it was no use, she was way too freaked out to calm down. _That boy, he looked just like the man in my dream… _She thought to herself, remembering how his cobalt blue eyes had taken her in, moving over her body in a hot caress. Ember shivered and couldn't contain the small gasp that escaped her throat unbidden as she thought about how he had taken a step towards her, his eyes glazed and burning. She vaguely wondered if he would have taken her right there, and she closed her eyes, imagining how it would feel to be claimed by him…

"Oh my God, what am I thinking about!" Her eyes snapped open, a blush spreading across her whole body as she realized that she had been fantasizing. Her roommate tilted her head and studied her quizzically, her dark curls bouncing as she rushed over to her, a small smirk on her face.

"Ooooh, were you thinking about a boy? Tell me, did you see any hot guys on your way up here?" She asked, her face shining with anticipation. Ember let out an embarrassed sigh and scooted back against the wall. Looking over at her roommate, Ember prepared to tell her best friend what had transpired.

"Alright Nadia, I'll tell you what happened if you promise not to laugh." She said, giving her friend a firm look. Nadia nodded frantically and grabbed a pillow, holding it to her chest as if she were listening to a bed time story. Ember studied her for a second, then leaned her head back against the wall and launched into her tale, leaving no details out. About an hour later, Ember glared at her friend while she tried to conceal the laughter bubbling from her throat. Nadia gasped and shook her head, wiping the tears of mirth from her eyes with one finger.

"Are you done yet?" Ember asked, raising an eyebrow in Nadia's direction. Nodding, Nadia took a deep breath and sobered. "So you're telling me that you dreamed of him before you met him, and you dreamed about three other guys as well?" She asked. Ember pursed her lips and nodded, not expecting her friend to take her seriously. But Nadia surprised her by saying, "I believe you."

Ember's eyes widened and she turned to the other girl, her eyebrows raised in surprise. "You really believe me," she said. Nadia nodded and smiled gently, "He could be your soulmate." With a small snort of derision Ember shook her head and turned her eyes away, staring at the soft cream of the walls. Nadia sighed and shifted closer, nudging her friend's shoulder with her own.

"But seriously, did he have any hot friends with him?" She asked, breaking the silence that followed. Ember burst out laughing, only stopping when she saw that Nadia was completely serious.

"Sorry, but I didn't see any." She replied.

"That sucks, on a scale of one to ten, how hot was the guy?"

"He was above a ten Nadia, he looked like a god." Ember said. Nadia moaned and let her head fall back against the wall, "Yum, we should go look for him…" She trailed off, closing her eyes. Ember blew out a sigh and elbowed her friend in the arm.

"Enough day dreaming, let's get this room decorated!" She said, trying to hide the twinge of annoyance that pierced her heart. She didn't know where it had come from, and quickly pushed it away. Nadia groaned and stood up, following Ember as she started to unpack boxes.


	6. Chapter 6

Ember gasped as his hands moved over her, not able to contain the broken cry of pleasure that escaped her lips when he leaned down to capture her nipple inside of his scalding mouth. Fire shot through her, her nerve endings rippling with sensation as he moved his lips across her skin. Kenny leaned up and over her, his eyes dark with need. She watched as he traced kisses down her stomach, then held her breath as he reached the inside of her thighs. He grazed her soft skin with his teeth, causing her breath to hitch in her throat. Ember felt her heart start pounding in her chest as he dipped lower, settling in between her legs. Pleasure crashed through her as his tongue touched her, then there was nothing but the sensations that shook her body. She was vaguely aware of someone calling her name, and she thought for a moment that it was Kenny, but then the voice became louder, breaking into her soft cocoon of desire. Kenny raised his head, his eyes wide and pleading, still holding that dark hint of lust.

"No, do not leave me." He whispered, grasping her hand with his own. Ember shook her head and tried to clear the voice, but it just grew louder, the tone insistant. She groaned as Kenny leaned up to take her lips with his own, but she felt herself falling even as he did so. Ember clutched at him, not wanting to leave his strong arms, but he was fast fading away, and she could do nothing to stop it. Looking down at her with solemn eyes, Kenny kissed her one last time before the dream swirled away. Ember blinked open her eyes, Nadia's blurry face slowly swimming into view. She groaned and sat up, pushing an annoying piece of hair away from her face. Smacking her lips, she looked around, still able to taste him on her tongue. Her eyes then flew to Nadia's, and anger replaced the confusion. Ember was going to kill Nadia for waking her up and interrupting what was probably the best dream of her life. She favored her friend with a glare, her mouth turning down in a frown. Nadia raised an eyebrow and sat down next to her on the bed.

"I take it I interrupted your sex dream." She said, a smirk playing at her lips. Heat flooded Ember's face and she sputtered, trying to deny that such a thing had even happened. Nadia laughed at the look on her friend's face.

"I'm pretty sure the whole dorm could hear you moaning. Whoever you were screwing in your dream, he must have been good." She giggled, not even trying to spare Ember's pride. Ember lowered her head into her lap and covered herself with the blankets.

"Oh my God… this is so _embarrassing_," she muttered, her voice muffled from beneath the covers. Nadia patted her back gently, then pulled the blankets back and nudged her with a shoulder. "Nah, don't worry about it. You can just brag about how good your dream man is in the sac." She said with a cheery smile. Ember peeked out at her from beneath her hair, obviously not amused. Nadia sighed and jumped up, way too happy for a girl who woke up so early. Ember thought back to her dream, remembering how his lips had felt against her's, how his mouth had… she shook her head, trying to clear the thoughts.

"Come on, go get in the shower, I took one earlier. You need one desperately." Nadia said, breaking through her reverie. Ember sighed and looked up, but nodded, She stood and grabbed a towel, stripping and wrapping it around her. She looked down at it and groaned.

"Why on Earth did you have to buy pink ones?" Ember asked, toying with the edge of the bright fabric. Nadia giggled and shrugged, jumping up to go into her closet.

"They're cute, so stop complaining and go already." Nadia said from inside the small space. Ember blew out a sigh and went to the door, reaching the showers within minutes. _God, it's crowded in here… _she thought to herself before walking towards one of the stalls. It was foggy, the moisture clouding her judgement as to if it was taken or not. She pulled back the curtain, and stared. The boy before her was glorious, if not god-like. His muscles rippled as he raised his arms to wash the shampoo from his hair. The water ran down his golden-tan skin in small rivulets, and she couldn't help but watch them move down his body. The clearing of a throat brought her back to reality, and she raised her eyes to look into the ones in front of her. Shock slammed through her, and her heart skipped a beat before it started up again. It was the boy from her dreams, and she couldn't help but blush. She also realized that it was the same boy that she had seen yesterday, the one that had taken a step towards her in the foyer. Ember was vaguely aware that she had said something along the lines of, "Oh my… " But just like yesterday, she fled before she could hear his response.

Ember held her towel to her chest as she ran, dodging boys and girls alike. It seemed like forever before she made it back to the dorm, dodging into the bedroom to get away from the boy that was likely following her. Nadia watched with extreme interest as she rushed into the closet, hiding. Nadia looked over at the door as a knock sounded, and walked over to open it. She smiled at the boy standing there, _this must be the guy Ember was running from_, Nadia thought, taking in the boy's very fine form.

"Well hello there." She purred, purposefully biting her lip. He smiled at her and leaned against the door frame. "Hello," he said, "I'm looking for someone, perhaps you know them?" Nadia smirked inside of her mind and placed a finger on her chin, shaking her head she said, "Sorry, can't help you." She shut the door in his face and walked to the closet, opening the door to look down at her friend, who was hunched among the shoes.

"If that was the boy from your dreams, then I have no idea why you were hiding." Nadia said. Ember sighed and stood, walking to the door and opening it to see if he was still there. Seeing that he wasn't, she turned to Nadia and smiled.

"He was, and I'll talk to you about it later. I'm gonna go take a shower now." Ember said, disappearing into the hallway. Nadia watched her leave with a smile, then went back to getting ready for the orientation.


	7. Chapter 7

Kenny sat up with a start, his breathing harsh. Stan moaned and turned over in the bed on the other side of the room, his soft snores loud in the silence. The remnants of Kenny's dream still ran through his mind, and he felt the heat rise to his face as he remembered what he had done. He couldn't for the life of him remember what her name was, but he knew that he had to find out. She had looked at him with those passion-filled deep green eyes, and he had known that she was his. Suddenly, the door burst open, and Cartman strode in, dragging a half-asleep Kyle behind him. He flicked on the light, momentarily blinding Kenny and causing Stan to sit up in bed, his eyes wide with surprise. Stan scowled at Cartman and dropped back into his pillows, pulling the covers over his head to shield his eyes. With a snort Cartman stalked over and ripped the blankets away from Stan's body.

"Get up you lazy fucktard," he said, glaring down at the other boy's dozing body, "We have to get to freshman orientation." Stan just groaned in response. Cartman turned to Kenny and smiled. "I thought for sure he had snuck into a girl's dorm room last night." He told him. Kenny tilted his head, trying to rub the sleep from his eyes.

"What do you mean?" He mumbled, his voice husky. Kenny cleared his throat, trying to clear up his words. Cartman pushed Kyle, who had fallen asleep standing up, onto Stan's bed and walked over. He crossed his arms, his dark gray eyes flashing with excitement.

"You mean you didn't hear them?" He asked, a small smirk turning up the corners of his mouth.

"Hear what?"

"The moans and cries of passion, they came all the way from the girl's side of the dorm. I thought for sure Stan had been doing one of his famous late-night visits again." Cartman explained. Kenny paled, had his dream been shared with someone else, was the girl actually real? He dismissed that notion almost immediately, not wanting to get his hopes up. It had probably been some girl and her boyfriend or lover celebrating their first night of college, which was exactly what he told Cartman. With a dismissive wave of his hand, Cartman turned to the two sleeping boys and gave an evil smile.

"Well, whoever it was, he must be pretty good in bed if he could get her to moan like that." He said, cracking his knuckles. Kenny shook his head as Cartman pulled an airhorn out of seemingly nowhere. "You do know that people are sleeping, right?" He said, standing and moving towards his closet. Cartman just shrugged, and Kenny pressed his hands over his ears before the other boy pressed down on the button. He could dimly hear the sound of the horn going off, and it wasn't long before shouts of anger and the pounding of feet could be heard. Turning around, he watched as Stan and Kyle chased Cartman out into the hallway, thier faces livid. Leaning down, Kenny rummaged through his things until he found a towel, his toothbrush, shampoo, and his toothpaste. He stripped and wrapped the towel around his waist, making his way out into the hallway, narrowly avoiding being trampled by a stampeding herd of boys, all of them chasing after Cartman, who was laughing as he escaped into his bedroom.

"Idiot…" Kenny murmured, sticking his tooth brush in his mouth as he made his way to the showers. A lot of people were already there, and he was surprised to see girls flitting in and out of the room, all of them dripping wet and apparently not caring that they were half-naked in front of a bunch of guys. Kenny swallowed hard as a pretty blonde brushed up against him, giving him a seductive look as she passed by. Turning his head, Kenny watched her walk away, noting that the swing of her hips was overly exaggerated. "Nope, no telling where that's been." He whispered, walking into the showers. The room was filled with steam, making the scene in front of him obscure and extremely hard to make his way through. Once he found a open shower, he ducked in and hung his towel over the curtain rod, turning on the water as he did so. He jumped out of the way as cold water sprayed against the floor, and waited impatiently as it got hot. Finally, it was warm enough to shower in, so he stepped under the spray and relished the hot water against his skin.

Suddenly, the curtain ripped open, and he turned his head in surprise as a rush of cool air hit him. A girl in a pink towel stood there, her dark green eyes wide as she took in his naked body. "Oh my…" She whispered, and he realized with a shock that it was the girl from his dreams. Her cheeks were stained with scarlet as she continued to stare at him, and he could feel his body's reaction as her eyes roamed over him. He cleared his throat, trying to bring her back to the present. Her eyes snapped to his, and they widened even more before she let the curtain fall back into place.

"No, wait!" Kenny called after her, hurrying to wash the shampoo from his hair. He grabbed his towel and hastily tied it around his waist before opening the curtain. The girl was nowhere to be seen, and he looked around frantically until he saw a flash of her pink towel, and he followed it until he came to the door of a dorm. He knocked, and took a step back as a dark-haired girl opened it, taking him in with undisguised lust.

"Well hello there." She purred, biting her lip as she perused his half-naked form. He gave her his most charming smile and leaned against the door frame. "Hello," he said, "I'm looking for someone, perhaps you know them?" The girl placed a finger on her chin and thought for moment, then shook her head. "Sorry, can't help you." She stated before slamming the door in his face. Kenny stared at the wood in shock for a moment, then blew out a sigh and went back to the showers to collect his things. Luckily they were still there, and he chastised himself for forgetting them. He made his way back to the dorm, and slammed the door behind him. Stan looked up as he entered, his hair dripping with water and leaving streaks of moisture on the pillow he was laying on. He smiled wickedly at Kenny and sat up, studying him with knowing eyes.

"What, did a girl walk in on you?" He asked, leaning forward. Kenny favored him with a glare and then went into the closet, shutting the door on his friend's question.

"I'm guessing that's a yes." Stan muttered to himself, pulling on his shoes before leaning back on the bed. Kenny glared at him as he exited the closet, pulling his favorite T-shirt over his head before coming over to sit on the edge of Stan's mattress.

"I think I scared her." He said.

"How so?"

"Well, she was hot, and she was staring at me. So… I kinda got turned on." Kenny muttered, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment. Stan raised an eyebrow and looked at him over the top of the comic he was reading.

"She should be flattered." He replied, returning to his story. Kenny fell backwards onto the bed and groaned. With a pained sigh Stan let the comic drop onto his lap and sat up, staring down at Kenny's miserable face.

"Why do you care so much anyway, plenty of girls have seen you naked before." Stan said amiably.

"Yeah, but this was different."

"How the Hell is it any different?"

"Because... oh, nevermind." Kenny sighed, starting to get up. Stan grabbed him by the collar and pulled him back down, his expression set in stone.

"Explain," he said,"How was she any different?"

"She's different because I dreamt about her. I've been dreaming about her since before we left South Park." Kenny said, looking away. Stan raised both eyebrows and an odd expression passed over his face before he started to laugh.

"Shut up Stan, I'm being serious." Kenny growled, giving the other boy a threatening look. Stan sobered and quieted, he studied his friend's face intently, searching for any signs of sarcasm.

"Wait, you're being serious?"

"Yes!"

"Wow, okay. I'm guessing it was you who was making that girl moan last night." Stan said with a slight smirk. Kenny nodded slowly, then his eyes widened and looked over at him.

"I didn't know she was real…" He whispered. Stan started laughing again, his eyes watering. Kenny growled and launched himself at his friend, grabbing at his shirt. Stan held up his hands to protect himself as Kenny slapped him, though he was laughing so hard he didn't even try to hit back. All of the commotion brought Kyle and Cartman into the room, and they watched as the two boys wrestled, finally falling off of the bed and onto the floor.

"Okay guys, that's enough. Let's get down to the bus stop before orientation starts." Kyle said, going over to pull them apart. Kenny and Stan let go of each other, Stan panting from laughing so hard, and Kenny from trying to beat up on Stan. They stood and dusted off their shirts, their hair now disheveled and their faces flushed.

"Alright, let's go." Kenny said, brushing past Kyle and walking towards the door. The other three followed, Stan desperately trying to slick down the pieces of hair that now stuck up on his head. They made their way downstairs, immediately noticing all of the sorority girls that were bouncing around.

"You gotta love college." Cartman muttered, watching with lust-filled eyes as a large-busted blonde flounced past.

"You can say that again." Kyle and Stan muttered. The boys laughed and made their way outside, ready to hop onto the bus.


	8. Chapter 8

Ember stared out of the bus window, freezing up when she saw the man from her dream walk out of the dorm. When she realized that the guys he was with were the men from her first dream, her heart nearly jumped out of her chest.

"Mmm, look at that bunch of eye candy, I would love to eat some of that." Nadia moaned, taking Kenny and his friends in with needy eyes. Ember turned to her and gave her an exasperated look, "Try to keep it in your pants Nadia." She said, patting her friend's cheek softly. The other girl just frowned and sat back in her seat, her eyes drifting to the group every once in a while. The bus swayed as they climbed on, and everyone went silent as the biggest one swept them with a dangerous glare. His eyes stopped on Ember, and she swallowed, trying to calm her nerves, which at that point were stretched thin. A slow smile twisted his lips before he looked away, and she immediately felt as though she had survived a dangerous mission. The one with the cobalt eyes looked over at her then, his eyes not moving from hers. Ember was the one that looked away first, her body heating up just from the intensity of his gaze.

"They're coming this way!" She heard Nadia whisper excitedly, and it wasn't long before four male bodies were standing by their seats. Ember held her breath, not even daring to look over at them, just in case one of them was staring at her. And one was, she could feel his eyes boring into her skin, making her temperature skyrocket and her heart start pounding in her chest. Finally she looked up, right into those mesmerizing blue eyes... and her breath was knocked out of her body by an elbow to the ribs. The bus had come to a screeching halt, throwing Nadia into her side and causing her head to hit the back of the seat in front of her.

"Ow..." Ember hissed, rubbing the bright red spot in the middle of her forehead. That's when she remembered that the literal man of her dreams was standing right next to her, and had witnessed the embarrassing moment. She looked up quickly, only to see that he was no longer there. A sense of relief came over her, followed quickly by a small twinge of regret. Her inner turmoil was interrupted by Nadia, who stood up and gestured for Ember to follow.

"Come on, if you don't hurry we'll be late." She said, pushing her way to the front of the bus. Ember frowned and followed hastily, still wondering where the man from her dreams had gone. As she stepped off of the bus, a hand came out of nowhere and grabbed her arm, surprising her so much that she could do nothing but gasp as her back hit the side of the bus. She winced and glanced up at the person who had pushed her, her angry words disappearing when she saw who it was.

"Who are you?" The man from her dreams asked, his deep blue eyes flashing. Ember could do nothing but stare, all logical thoughts having run away. Two strong fingers pushed her chin up, forcing her to look him in the eye.

"I asked you a question." He said softly, leaning closer. His breath was warm and held the smell of peppermint, tickling her skin and disturbing the fine hairs that rested by her ear. That was her undoing, she took a deep breath and replied, "My name is Ember." He stared at her for a minute, then smiled, an expression that nearly took her breath away. He leaned back and crossed his arms.

"Well, Ember..." Her name from his lips was a sweet caress, "My name is Kenny, it's a pleasure to finally meet you in person." He said. Ember blushed at the innuendo and couldn't help wondering how it would feel if he really kissed her. She looked up at him and smiled.

"It's nice to meet you too." She managed, suddenly Nadia came running around the side of the van, her cheeks flushed and eyes wide. "There you are!" She gasped, walking over to Ember and grabbing her arm, "we have to get inside, orientation is about to start." And with that, she proceeded to pull her best friend away. Ember sighed and looked back at Kenny, who was standing there with a shocked look on his face.

"As soon as this thing is over you are going to explain everything that just happened." Nadia whispered vehemently as they took their seats. Ember gave a pained groan and nodded, turning her attention to the adult that had walked onto the stage. He introduced himself as Headmaster Miles Filk, and proceeded to welcome them to SchattenWood College. Then he promptly handed the mike over to the student representative and walked off the stage. Ember sighed and slumped in her chair, her thoughts veering back to Kenny and his hypnotizing eyes.


	9. Chapter 9

Kenny was having an extremely hard time paying attention to the student representative up on the stage. His focus was on Ember, his complete and total focus. He sighed and smiled when she turned to her friend and smiled at some joke that he couldn't hear. What Kenny wasn't aware of was that Stan, Kyle, and Cartman were all watching him with identical disturbed expressions. Leaning over to Stan, Kyle raised his hand to block his mouth and whispered,

"I think he's finally snapped."

"I agree, what the Hell is he even staring at?" Stan whispered back, turning his head slightly so that he could catch Kyle's response.

"He's looking at someone across the room, maybe a girl?" Kyle replied hopefully.

"Or another dude." Cartman chimed in, not even bothering to lower his voice. Both Stan and Kyle turned to glare at him, but Cartman just shrugged, obviously not caring if everyone heard him. Of course with that statement Kenny whipped around and glared at the other boy.

"I am not looking at another guy." He snapped, giving them all firm looks before returning his gaze to Ember. Stan followed his glance and raised an eyebrow, "She's hot..." He said, leaning around Kenny to get a better look. Kyle did the same, and he was soon followed by Cartman, until all four of them had their eyes trained on Ember.

"Hey, that's the girl I saw on the bus." Cartman whispered, studying her intently. As if she could feel them staring at her, Ember turned and caught their glance. Her eyes widened slightly and she quickly turned away, trying to hide the blush that rose to her cheeks. Kenny felt his heart skip a beat, her obvious nervousness tickling his sadistic side._ She's cute when she blushes_, he thought. Kenny wanted to make her blush even more, but in a completely different way. He wanted to hear her cry out in pleasure, he wanted to hear his name torn from her lips. His sadistic side invaded his mind then, and all he could think about was taking her in every way possible. He was so caught up in his erotic daydreams that he didn't even notice everyone was leaving until Cartman hit him in the back of the head.

"Ouch, what was that for?!" Kenny exclaimed, rubbing the sore spot and wincing as the tender skin twitched. Cartman shrugged and pointed at Ember.

"You were nearly drooling, and you had a weird look in your eyes, it was starting to freak me out." He said. Kenny just blew out a sigh and stood, his eyes making their way back to Ember, but she was no longer there. He looked frantically around for her, but she was nowhere to be seen.

"Dude, come on, we're leaving." Stan called from the front doors. Kenny did one more sweep of the room, but he still could not find Ember, so he gave up and followed his friends to the bus stop.


	10. Chapter 10

Ember was struggling to keep it together, not able to forget the look in Kenny's eyes as he stared at her. Not only that, but the reaction that he had elicited from her had her terrified. This had never happened to her before, and she had absolutely no idea what was going on. She buried her face in her hands, glad to be away from the commotion of the quad and the dorm. It was against the rules, but she had fled into the woods, mostly to hide from Kenny. _What is wrong with me?_ She asked herself, her fear obvious even in her thoughts.

"I shouldn't be afraid of him…" She whispered breathlessly, taking a deep breath to calm her shaking body. He was just so intimidating, and the dreams that they had shared… they were so amazing. A crimson blush spread across her cheeks as she realized where her thoughts were headed. _God damnit! He's a stranger, you shouldn't even know he exists! _She scolded herself, standing up and beginning to pace. Ember chewed on her lip, her thoughts a jumble of hormones and confusion. First, she needed to figure out why this was happening to her, and how she could stop it. Second, she needed to get as far away from Kenny as possible, someplace not even their dreams would be able to connect them.

"Where am I supposed to go, space?!" She cried angrily, throwing her hands up in exasperation. She sat down heavily against a tree, rubbing her temples as exhaustion rolled through her. A sudden snap of a twig close by had her on high alert. She didn't recall the headmaster or the student representative saying anything about dangerous wild animals. Ember swallowed, grabbing hold of a large stick before standing and looking around. There wasn't anything that she could see, but that didn't mean something, or someone, wasn't watching her from afar.

"Hello? Is anyone out there?" She called, holding the branch above her head. Not that it would make a good weapon against a mountain lion or a bear, or a certain well-muscled young man… "Really, even when I'm in potential danger?" She growled to herself, narrowing her eyes as something moved in her peripheral vision. Ember whirled, the stick held menacingly in her hands, only to be lowered as she realized what it was. A chipmunk sat in front of her, looking up at her with sparkling black eyes. It sat there for a few seconds before scampering away, getting lost in the bushes. A sigh of relief left her and she let her makeshift weapon fall to the ground.

"Well, you're certainly on edge." The deep male voice made her freeze, and she all but shivered with fear. Slowly, she turned to face the speaker, dreading who she might find. Kenny's friend stood in front of her, his arms crossed over his chest as he studied her. She swallowed, taking in his broad shoulders and flashing grey eyes. He exuded an aura of power and arrogance, with just a tinge of danger mixed in.

"W- who are you?" Ember asked softly, her voice breaking as she stared at him. He was one of the men she had seen in her dream, the one that had demanded that she choose him. Was he there to ask her what was going on? Because if so, she didn't know what she was going to tell him. She took a step back as he took a step forward, trying to keep her distance. A smirk settled onto the man's lips, and she had the distinct feeling that she had just fallen right into his trap.

"My name is Eric, but my friends just call me Cartman." He replied with a wink, taking another step forward. God, but he was intimidating, even more so than Kenny. Maybe it was his cocky attitude and the way he walked, but whatever it was it worked. What exactly did he want? She hadn't heard him say anything about Kenny…

"What do you want? Did you come to talk about Kenny?" Ember snapped, her irritation at the whole situation getting the better of her. Cartman's eyes narrowed dangerously, and he took several steps forward, causing her to back up against the tree. She was trapped, unable to get away from his intense gaze. An unsettling smile twisted his lips, and he placed both hands on either side of her head, effectively keeping her from moving away. He leaned in close, his lips settling at her ear.

"Now why on earth would I come all the way out here just to talk about Kenny? No, I came out here because I saw something I wanted, and I plan on getting it." He whispered, his warm breath fanning across her skin as he spoke. Ember's eyes widened at his words, and she pressed back against the tree as much as she could.

"What is it that you want?" She asked through gritted teeth, pushing down the fear that bubbled up in her chest. There was no way she was going to let this big idiot intimidate her into doing something she didn't want to do. A chuckle filled the air as he pulled away, and she kept her best glare on as he studied her intently.

"You of course. But I'm a patient person, so I'll give you some time to make up your mind. After your time is up however, I'll take what I want, no matter what you say." He said all of this with a calm smile on his face. Shock went through her as he spoke, and she swallowed hard, wanting to get away from him as fast as possible. Cartman heaved a sigh and looked around, then smiled and turned, giving a small wave as he walked away.

"I'll be back soon!" He called before disappearing into the trees. Relief flooded through her and she slid to the ground, wrapping her arms around her knees and bringing them to her chest.

"What the hell is happening?" She whispered her voice shaking. Her world was crumbling around her, and nothing made sense anymore. She buried her face in her arms and sat in the silence of the woods, trying desperately to figure out why her life was being turned upside down.


End file.
